“Aren’t they always?”
I jump on the machine beside him, set the speed higher than is comfortable, and run until my body is exhausted and quivering. It’s a stupid move—my bad knee is going to punish me for it tomorrow—but at least for those few blissful minutes, my mind is at peace.
Chapter 13
Kori
There isn’t a single car in Double Teep’s parking lot. Gage assured me we would have the place to ourselves since the gym isn’t open on Sunday, but I was under the assumption he would still be here. The whole self-defense lesson thing hinges on it.
Hey, I’m here.
Perfect. Be right out.
A few seconds later, the door opens up, and he steps out onto the small stoop. The sun glistens off the sheen of sweat coating his skin. God, he looks absolutely lickable. His posture straightens as his gaze lands on my car, and he heads in my direction, moving with a slight limp that definitely wasn’t there a few days ago.
“Hey, Kor—” he starts to say, but I cut him off.
“Are you okay?”
“It’s just an old injury acting up. I went a little too hard the other day, and I’m paying for it now. I’ll be fine, though. I’m used to it,” he says with a grimace.
“Shouldn’t you be resting it or icing it or something?”
I’m not pre-med or anything, but I know continuing to push an injury is a recipe for disaster.
“It’s not the worst it’s ever been,” he says with a shrug.
“Are you sure? We can reschedule today if you need to—”
“I’m fine. I promise if I thought I needed to, I would rest it.”
“Fine. I guess you know your body better than I do.”
“How are you? Still feeling sick?” He scans me over as if he might find the answer to his question there.
“I’m good. No lingering effects at all.”
“And you’ve been sleeping?”
“If that’s your way of trying to subtly ask if I’m traumatized, the answer is no. I’ve been sleeping like a baby. No nightmares. No anxiety.”
But plenty of dreams about him—the type that wakes me up hot and desperate with need. And now he’s here in front of me, even sexier and more unobtainable than in my fantasies. But thinking about him like that has heat rising in my cheeks.
“Good.”
“So exercise…” I can’t meet his eyes as I change the topic.
“Sure. If that’s what you want to call it,” he says with a chuckle and leads me inside.
The gym is less awful when it’s empty. There’s no cloud of humid sweat to choke on, and the stench of bleach is nothing more than the faintest hint. It’s quieter, too, almost eerily so. If the warehouse was any bigger, it would be straight up ominous.
If it bothers Gage, he doesn’t show it. He slips off his shoes and steps onto the mat, then waits for me to join him.
“All right, today we are going to focus on the basics,” he calls out once I do.
The words are louder than I expect—like a drill sergeant calling their troops to order. My spine stiffens, and a spark of electric tingles cascades through me.
“We’re going to start you with a warm-up, and I’m going to use that to assess your current level of fitness. After that, we are going to focus on awareness and assertiveness. We will see how you’re feeling after that and go from there. Any questions?”
